Smile For Me
by brezoflower
Summary: [SasuSaku] Sakura's parents are murdered, and she becomes bitter and focused only on gaining strength...sound familiar? It seems Sasuke just might be the only one to save her from becoming just like him...
1. Dealing With Death

Smile For Me

_I've never had a special clan power. No one in my family has been a ninja before me. My skills are minimal, and the only real thing I have to set me apart from everyone else is my intelligence. You'd think that because of that, I'd possess more common sense than the average person. You'd also be wrong. _

_Regardless of my strengths or weaknesses, I am still a ninja. The first kunoichi of the Haruno family. And whether or not I possess any special talents, I'm determined to create one. Only then will I be strong enough to move on from this crisis._

_Only one person I know will understand._

_Uchiha Sasuke. _

_The one doomed to hate. And not even I can open his eyes._

Chapter One

"I'm going!" 17-year-old Haruno Sakura called as she grabbed her cream-colored bag and slung it carelessly over her shoulder.

"Careful, then," her mother called. "If you come home with any more scratches, I'm going to talk to this Tsunade, even if she is Hokage."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Mother, it's training. Of course I'm going to get a little scratched up."

"Your training is to be a medic-nin—"

"—and yet I do still learn battle skills," Sakura finished. "If I'm healing the ninjas that fight, chances are I'll eventually be in enough danger to where I'll need to defend myself." _Besides, I'm almost at jounin level, _she thought. _I'll need all the training I can get. _She gave her mother a reassuring smile. Her mother just frowned back.

"Well, then, just be careful. No broken bones, okay?"

"All right. You can count on it." Sakura smiled warmly at her mother one last time, then darted off. She felt no need to remind her mother that she hadn't broken a bone in over four years, and she had no intention of breaking one now.

Running quickly through the streets, she noticed the morning bustle of the market was making it rather hard to navigate through the crowd. That changed immediately as she jumped above the people, above the well-stocked fruit stands, onto a tarp; that propelled her up to the rooftop. She resumed her quick pace as she leaped from roof to roof. She had done this in the trees often enough.

Ah. There was Tsunade's office. Luckily, it hadn't taken long to get there.

"You're almost late, Sakura," Tsunade called warningly from her desk as Sakura appeared in her doorway.

"Yeah, there's a phrase for that; it's called 'on time,'" Sakura replied, the smallest traces of a smirk appearing on her lips.

"Watch that," Tsunade said, indicating Sakura's tone.

"Yes, sensei," Sakura bowed respectfully.

"Anyway," Tsunade dismissed the matter with a simple wave of her hand, "today won't be for training."

"You have a mission for me?" Sakura asked eagerly.

"Well, yes and no," her instructor replied. "I need you to pick up something in the next village."

"That's fine. I'll do it," Sakura said quickly. She loved getting out of the village, even if just for a little while.

"Glad to see your enthusiasm," Tsunade said. "Okay, in the next village there is a medical supplies stand which sells items we don't have here in Konoha. Pick up these things," she handed Sakura a small list, "and be back by the end of the day."

"Yes, sensei." Sakura happily sprinted out of the Hokage's office, the next village was Tirisu, and it wasn't very far at all. She would get this done in no time.

An hour later, Sakura gave her thanks to the clerk at the medicine stand, then headed back to her own village. She knew Tsunade had given her extra time to enjoy herself in Tirisu, but something inside her was telling her to go back to Konoha. She was happy to have had the chance to walk around Tirisu, anyway.

Gathering up her medical bags and her personal cream-colored one, she darted up into the trees and began the trek home.

Midnight obsidian eyes scanned the forest for any signs of movement. Nothing so far. Not that it mattered; besides his long-term goal, he didn't have much to do anyway. So he was glancing around this forest area for no particular reason, mostly out of sheer boredom.

His ears suddenly became more alert as he picked up the sound of something brushing by leaves. Checking the bushes down below, he fond nothing. But a sudden flash of pink made him head jerk up toward the trees. A young, slim girl of around seventeen or eighteen was leaping gracefully from tree to tree, carefully searching for the next thick bough she could land on. She was gone in an instant, and that pink hair was strikingly familiar to him.

He thought of that girl he used to know back in Konoha. Actually, the village wasn't that far from where he was standing now. Could she…

He shook his head silently. No. It couldn't be.

"Got them!" Sakura called gleefully as she strode back into Tsunade's office.

"You're back much earlier than I had expected," the Hokage commented. "Didn't you stay for a while?"

"Well, no, I just had this feeling…" Sakura shrugged. "Well, I have to go back home for a while. Do you need anything else today?"

"No, you can have the rest of the day to yourself,' Tsunade said to her, taking a sip of some odd-looking drink and setting it back down again.

"Thank you," Sakura said on her way out. She couldn't help grinning as she heard Tsunade mutter, "Damn drink left a coffee ring on my paperwork."

"Mom, Dad, I'm home early!" Sakura announced as she set her bag down by the front door. There was no sound in the house at all. Sakura turned the corner into the living room.

"Hey, is anyone here—" Sakura stopped abruptly as she saw a black-clad figure treading carefully around an armchair.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura demanded, preparing herself to fight if necessary. The ninja jumped considerably when he saw her. He slipped a small kunai from his pocket.

"SAKURA!" Her father shouted, running in front of her. Her mother came scurrying in from the kitchen.

"Stay back," Mr. Haruno growled.

"Daddy, no!" Sakura cried. Her parents had no experience in fighting at all.

"I said STAY BACK!" her father demanded. Sakura's mouth was trembling.

Suddenly, the ninja struck.

It all happened in a blink of an eye. The stranger clothed in black leapt upwards, and threw a kunai in Mrs. Haruno's direction. Sakura's mother screamed, then slid against the wall.

Sakura's father screamed his wife's name as he charged at the ninja and punched him square in the jaw. The ninja staggered back, but another kunai was ready in his hand. As Mr. Haruno moved to strike him again, the ninja lunged for his throat, kunai raised.

"DADDY!" Sakura screamed as he fell. The ninja looked to her, and she knew that he would kill her too.

In a blind rage, Sakura rushed forward and knocked the kunai away. Gathering her chakra, she spun as much energy as she could into her hands. This was the very latest technique Tsunade had taught her, and she had only seen it a few times. Well, now she would use it well.

"CHIDORI!" Sakura yelled as she pushed the crackling ball of blue electricity into the ninja. The stranger let out a deep roar in his throat as Sakura pressed the attack further into his chest. With a sickening thud, he dropped to the floor, and his cheek hit the tiles. He was dead. An amateur ninja. She doubted he was even a genin. But his build indicated that he was at least in his late thirties.

The only person she had seen use this technique flashed through her mind. He was gone now, and there was no reason for her to be thinking of him right now. _Sasuke…is this what you went through?_

Sakura's rational thinking returned immediately, and tears sprung forth. She gazed back at her parents' direction. They were both dead. Sakura couldn't bear to look closer and find out how exactly they had been killed. She just knew that they were gone, and no amount of chakra from Tsunade would heal them. The damage was already done.

She rushed over to the dead ninja and pulled off his mask. It was no one she recognized. Just a simple robber coming to take their valuables.

Raising her head to glare at the ceiling, her eyes shut tightly as she screamed, screamed as if she couldn't ever stop.

Two years later

Sakura woke slowly, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight streaming through the window. Today was just another day. Nothing special was going to happen. She would get ready, train for hours, eat, train the rest of the day, and then sleep again. Nothing out of the ordinary.

She sat up in her sleeping bag as she stared at the dark brown walls. Fate had definitely been cruel to her.

After the death of her parents, Sakura's house had gone out of her hands. The village council said she would get it back when she turned eighteen. But by the time she reached the age, the house had been sold to a different family, and Sakura couldn't bring herself to reclaim it and force them out. She decided that she would move back in only when the other family decided to move.

The council had been very understanding about this, especially Tsunade. Tsunade herself had offered to have Sakura live with her, but Sakura declined, saying she wanted to live alone for a while. She couldn't bear to always have someone around to offer their sympathy. _Being alone was better than being with people who only pitied you. _

So the council searched for available houses. They had only found one; one that Sakura would have rather slept outside than lived in.

It was Sasuke's old house.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was exactly what he had felt after the death of his own parents. Naruto wouldn't understand. The solitude, yes; he knew that well. But he had never known his family; he had grown up alone. Losing both of your parents before your eyes was something only one other person would understand.

Uchiha Sasuke.

But she wasn't going to look for him. She wasn't going to bother with anyone anymore. Her constant training at her usual spot in the forest had been beneficial; she was now at jounin level, far above all others in her age group. She had learned numerous techniques, including the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. She had immediately turned down an offer to be part of the ANBU; she preferred working alone, rather than teaming up. The others would only give her something to care about, and that would only cause her pain in the end.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, knocking repeatedly on the door. He knew very well that this was Sasuke's old home, but for Sakura's sake he had never mentioned it.

Sakura rose out of her sleeping bag, and trudged to the front door. Before she could open it, however, the door opened by itself as Naruto let himself in.

"Sakura-chan, I brought you some ramen for breakfast!" he exclaimed happily, taking out a small box stuffed to the top with fresh noodles. "I figured we could eat together."

"Sure, Naruto." Sakura didn't smile. She never did anymore. She led him to the living room, where they both sat down at the table and began to eat.

Naruto had made it a constant habit to visit Sakura at least once a week. He was always happy, even if it was sometimes forced. She knew that he thought if he was happy enough every time he came to see her, that she would eventually break down and learn to be cheerful again. This was not the case. Through the two long years since her parents' death, nothing had changed.

It was strange, though. The entire village (at least those who knew her) had expected her to fall apart, crying uncontrollably for months and months. After all, her feelings had always been very fragile. The opposite had happened. Maybe it was too much for her. In any case, she became distant, not rude, but never happy. She vowed that strength would he her top priority, and that she would train herself until she rose above all the others in her level.

But she promised never to become like Sasuke. She promised that she would never become so hell-bent on obtaining power that she would do anything to have it. She would gain power through herself, not from some ancient scroll or a cursed seal brought on my the most powerful man in the five Hidden Villages.

Sasuke. Actually, she hadn't given much thought to that boy, whom she guessed had already grown into a man. She had risen above her love for him. She knew that deep down somewhere, it was probably still in there, but it was so faint now that she was able to block it out entirely. After all, they were only twelve when he left. What did he know about love anyway?

After Naruto had finished, he tried making small talk, and then left after his efforts proved unsuccessful. He gave her a sad smile as he walked out the door before closing it gently behind him.

Sakura took a quick shower, then got dressed in her usual training uniform. She had changed her clothing completely, so it was strictly functional and not for style. Form-fitting black fabric clung to her body like a swimsuit, although the fabric extended down to the middle of her thighs as if it was built-in shorts. A black cape with a hood was attached to the back of the outfit. Two kunai holsters were strapped to each of her legs, and midnight-colored tights ran all the way down her slim, toned legs into her boots. The boots were made to be as light as possible for easy movement, or so the tailor told her. Luckily, they worked just as he had said. They weren't big, and they didn't make her clumsy, perfect for her training. She had kept her hair short, strictly for convenience. She personally felt that it made her look older and more mature anyway.

As much as she had intended the outfit to be only for use and not style, she still didn't miss the approving looks of the young men her age when they glanced in her direction. Another thing that reminded her of Sasuke; always ignoring attention from the opposite sex. She wondered whether she would, in time, become a clone of him.

Slipping her black hood on, she tucked her silver cherry blossom necklace into her shirt. That necklace was a present from her parents, and was the only thing she had left of them. She treasured it above all else, and would protect it with all she had.

Sakura sighed; now for training.

Sasuke felt that it was finally time. After years and years of avoiding the village, he would have to confront his old house and the memories it contained. Not that he had any intention of permanently coming back. He would visit under the cover of night, where he could slip in and out unnoticed.

All he had to do now was wait for night to fall. So to pass the time, he traveled to the old training grounds where Kakashi used to take him, back when he was part of a group of three. Ashe walked through the bushes, he heard a small noise.

It was the sound of a kunai striking a tree, then another one, followed by a feminine sounding "ha!" as the figure threw them. This person was already training at the grounds. Without bothering to see who it was, Sasuke sighed and turned back. He would watch the village from the trees until night came.

Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead. Aiming her kunais at a single target had been easy enough; years of practice had made it so she hit the target one, two, three times in a row. Her aim was perfected. This meant that she would have to practice something else tomorrow.

Grabbing her bag, she headed for the house. She wondered whether she could ever call it 'home,' given that it wasn't her who had grown up there. Never mind. She would think of it later.

The door had barely been closed behind her before she flopped onto her sleeping bag, not bothering to get under the covers. She was asleep instantly.

Sasuke waited. Now was finally the right time. It had to be at least midnight. Gliding gracefully over the houses, he tapped the roofs silently with his feet as he made his way across them. Years of being a spy for Orochimaru had given him skills to be invisible to almost anyone.

When the right time came, Sasuke had snuck into Orochimaru's room. There was barely even time for a battle. Sasuke slid in and slit Orochimaru's throat. Orochimaru looked surprised before disappearing with a poof.

"I knew that tonight would be the night you'd come, Sasuke," he had said from the corner of the room. He had used replication. Sasuke quickly regained composure and had lunged at him, kunai raised. He had learned by now to save his chakra for when his opponent tired. And he had. After a long, heated battle, Sasuke had stuck him with Chidori and Orochimaru had fallen. Sasuke ran out, and he didn't have to check to know Orochimaru was dead. All that remained of his enemies was Itachi.

But Itachi would have to wait. Tonight was reserved for gathering all of his old possessions from his home, making sure his past was wiped clean from that place. He knew it would hurt, returning to the place he had avoided for so long. But it was finally time.

Sasuke slipped in through the back door. As he suspected, it was unlocked. No one came into this house anymore.

"What..?" he said silently upon seeing a body lying on the floor. No, it was on top of something soft. A sleeping bag. A homeless person was living in his old house! How dare he!

Sasuke, not bothering to be silent, plucked a kunai from its holster as he rushed toward the individual. He saw the figure wake from the noise and sit up, rubbing eyes.

CRASH.

Sasuke had smashed into the person, grabbing him and flinging him off the sleeping bag. The figure was awake instantly, and before Sasuke could throw him against the wall the person had grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and held a kunai identical to his own to Sasuke's neck. The two were locked together, each holding a weapon at each other's throats.

"Who are you and what are you doing here—" they said in perfect unison. Sasuke's eyes widened as the moonlight that shone through the front window reflected off of his opponent's eyes.

Emerald green. Behind them lay soft locks of short, pale pink hair. Sasuke dropped his kunai. It wasn't just that he had recognized the intruder. But in her eyes…

…was an intent to kill. He had never seen that look in her eyes before. Then again, it had been so long that he didn't really know her anymore.

"I'll ask you again," Sakura said warningly, her kunai still held at Sasuke's neck. "Tel me who you are or I'll kill you before you can blink."

A sudden rush of movement knocked away her kunai as the person gripped her shoulders, spinning her slightly towards the window. The intruder was looking closely at her, as if in recognition. She would have stumbled back if Sasuke's hands hadn't been gripping her shoulders.

"Uchiha…Sasuke…"


	2. The Reason

Hello, again! Here's Chapter Two! I don't usually update this fast, but after those awesome reviews I just HAD to keep going! I've left a note to each of you! Although, sadly, I probably won't do this again unless it's a really good question! Takes up too much space, you see.

Disclaimer: What happens if we say that we do own it? Who's going to purposely go looking for it just so they can sue? Well, whatever. Don't own it.

White-rosekiss

I'm really glad you commented! Yours was the first comment I read! Yay!

Fiana

your enthusiasm rocks! I'll definitely update often!

Shinobi Darkbeak

I'm glad you think it's interesting. Thanks!

Kawaii-Hisui

OMG. That has to be the best review I've ever gotten! It really made me laugh! Thanks so much! And yes, it's exactly like those other fics, except Sakura has a good reason for being that way, instead of just simply "growing up." I hope you keep reading!

sacred-aliance

I did check out your story. It's very good! It goes into depth at all the right places. It's awesome! Keep it up! Btw, that last chapter rocks!

Yachtzee

I hope to keep the fic at that same pace from now on. I'm really happy that you like it!

Safrawr

you were completely right in your thinking. Very perceptive! I'll definitely try to work on that in the future. I don't think I saw those errors when I was rereading it. This is one of those reasons why it's great to get feedback. Thanks!

Kurenai Chinoumi

Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it.

Ryuu no Taiyo

not sure what all the laughing was for, but it made me laugh anyway. Thanks for reviewing!

Rinkurocks

wow…your review had me positively beaming. Thanks so much for that!

PUNX13

Awww, don't be mad at me. I updated! **big grin **And yes, Naruto still has the world's biggest crush on her. Wonder how that'll work out, hmmm?

KRZ04

Sakura has such striking features, but since Sasuke's hair and clothing is so dark Sakura at first can't make out who he is. Hope that helps!

Ayi

I really enjoyed that review! And I'd love to be in a C2 community, that sounds great!

daydreamer53221 Thanks!

Blood red nin Well, here's the next one!

tianne-chan Will do, have updated!

Lady Light aww, I'm really glad you think my fic's that good!

Hi Sorry for the cliffhanger!

Tank

You're absolutely right. Sakura recalled the movements of Chidori when she saw Sasuke use it, and Kakashi maybe taught it to Tsunade. Sakura had already picked up Kage Bunshin because Naruto had taught it to her during Sasuke's absence. It will say that in this chapter. Hope that helps!

K a Z a – Q Well, here it is!

Silver Kitsune6291 Thank you!

kyoharu-chan Thanks!

Kigern kk, here it is!

AngeloflLight Thanks!

neu chi no nai u Thank you!

Smile For Me

Chapter Two

"…Sasuke-san?" Sakura breathed, almost unaware of his strong hands on her shoulders. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and the old Sakura would have been startled, maybe even afraid. But not now.

"Sakura, it _is_ you," Sasuke said, frowning at her. Releasing her shoulders, he stood up from his knees and looked at her. She was extraordinarily different. She had kept her hair short, save for the two locks of hair falling from her forehead and extending slightly past her chin. Her small, frail body had blossomed, changing her into a slim, curvaceous woman.

But what bothered him was her eyes. They were no longer a vivid, shimmery green; they had become dull, like the happiness had been sucked out of them.

"You've changed," he stated simply. Sakura met his eyes.

"So have you," she replied, her voice flat. And he had, though not as much as she. He had grown much taller, about the same height as Kakashi. He had strong, well-developed muscles running down his arms and upper body. He had changed his attire also: he had discarded his white shorts for loose black pants, a thin fabric with a drawstring at the waist. It had large pockets on both sides, and straps at the waist for kunais. His shirt was still the same, though the top and sleeves were smaller and less likely to get caught on something. The Uchiha clan's symbol still appeared boldly on the back. On his feet were black boots similar to Sakura's.

"What are you _doing_ here?" they asked at once angrily. Sakura responded first.

"I live here," she stated.

Sasuke was so thrown by that statement that any retort he might have had flew out of his mind.

"Wh…what?" he asked, glaring at her. She glared right back.

"I'm well aware that you heard me the first time, but yes, I live here." Sakura was unwilling to tell him the reason; he simply didn't need to know. After all, he was out of her life now.

Sasuke was about to ask why, but in the end his anger won. "Get out," he snarled, thinking he would intimidate her.

"This house was chosen to be my place to live by the Hokage and her council," Sakura shot back. "I have just as much of a right to live here as you do. More so, even," she added, "Missing-nin."

"Glad you noticed my title," Sasuke hissed, while inside he was still in shock. This girl just kept on surprising him. "Now, leave. Why can't you just go live at your own house?"

Without knowing it, he had hit a nerve. As much as she fought it, her suppressed emotions showed through, if only for a minute.

Without hesitating, she lunged forward and punched Sasuke in the jaw with as much strength as she could muster. Before she could pull back, however, Sasuke grabbed her wrist and sliced off a small lock of her hair, pressing the flat side of his kunai against her neck. The kunai felt cool and threatening against her skin.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell that was for?" he demanded furiously, his eyes fixating on hers with a glare so close that their noses were almost touching.

His eyes widened as he watched her dull green eyes slowly fill with hot, angry tears. The old Sakura was surfacing, even if it was only a miniscule sliver of her. Sasuke lowered his kunai, returning it to the strap at his waist. He understood. It's not like she would just attack him for no reason.

"You don't have a house anymore," he said. It wasn't a question; it was an affirmation.

"Correction," Sakura yelled at him, her voice rising uncontrollably, "I don't have a FAMILY anymore!"

Sasuke let go of her wrist, stepping back. The shock of her words sent his mind reeling. So this was why Sakura had changed. It wasn't because he had left. It was because she was now just like him. The phrase echoed in his mind. _Just like him…_

"What happened?" he asked, his voice slightly softening.

"You don't need to know!" Sakura snapped harshly, brushing the tears away from her face.

"How long ago?" Sasuke tried again. Sakura glared at him.

"Two years."

_Two years, _Sasuke thought. _She's already lived to years in solitude. Two years of enduring the hell of being alone. _

"Fine. Stay if you want." Sasuke began walking out of the room. "I'll only be here for tonight, anyway. To gather my possessions."

Sakura nodded. It must have taken him a lot of courage to return here, just as it would for her someday, when she would return to her own home.

Well, she certainly wouldn't be able to sleep now. Fixing her sleeping bag (which was now crumpled up about five feet from where it had started), she settled down on it. After a few minutes, she heard Sasuke's footsteps coming back down the hall. Flinging herself back down, Sakura dropped to the pillow and pretended to be asleep.

Sasuke walked into the room, but stopped when he saw Sakura's lithe body resting on her sleeping bag. He wondered why she had chosen to sleep in the living room, when the bedrooms were much more likely to be comfortable. He guessed that she still felt it was Sasuke's home, and she was staying away from most of it out of respect. He studied her for a quiet moment. Beyond just the physical changes, he could tell that she had undergone a series of harsh events. The Sakura he had once known was gone. In her place was this broken, hollow shell of a woman, whose emotional pain was equal to his own.

"You can stop pretending to sleep now. I know you're awake," Sasuke muttered. Sakura's eyes immediately opened.

"Ah, well. You caught me," she said, turning over on her stomach to look at him. A long moment passed in silence. Sasuke could hear the quiet rustling of the trees outside as the wind blew through them. He wondered what he would say to this woman. What could he say? Was there anything at all?

"It's been a long time," Sasuke finally said.

"Yeah, it has." Sakura looked down, and Sasuke could tell she was reminiscing. He watched her in silence.

"…I'm sorry, you know," she finally said.

"For what?" Sasuke frowned in confusion.

"That day when we were assigned to the same team, and you were looking for Naruto…I made some really stupid comment at the time about Naruto not having parents, and I didn't realize then how much that had to do with you." Sakura kept her eyes fixated on the floorboards. "And now…I know how it feels."

"It's fine," Sasuke said. "There's nothing to be sorry about." Deciding to end the awkward conversation there, he turned to the hall again.

"I killed him, you know," Sakura muttered, stopping him in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Who?" he asked.

"The murderer who killed my parents. I killed him," she replied. She wasn't sure why she was telling him this, but now she felt as if she couldn't ever stop. "He was just an amateur ninja. A common house thief. And at the time, I couldn't even tell."

"How did you kill him?" Sasuke asked quietly, amazed that Sakura could have moved after seeing that happen, let alone attack.

Sakura whispered something, so softly he almost didn't hear t. That single word sent waves of shock pulsating throughout Sasuke's body.

"Chidori! You used CHIDORI!" he exclaimed. This meant something so much deeper than it sounded. It meant that Sakura had been thinking of Sasuke's fate the moment she had taken her revenge. After all, Sasuke was the only one whom she had ever seen using this technique multiple times.

Sasuke's fists clenched. He had left her so many years ago. He left all of Konoha behind, and hadn't given her a second thought since. Yet, as much as she was trying to hide it, she was still thinking of him, even if only once in a great while.

"Well, since I'm never gonna get to sleep now, I'm gonna go train," Sakura said, standing up. "It's only…" she glanced at the clock, "four hours before I usually get up to train anyway."

When she got to the door, she swiveled around one last time.

"Sorry we didn't get to talk more. And by the way, you won't have to worry about me going after you, or telling the Hokage that you were here." She attempted a smile. It didn't work. "Your secret's safe with me." With that, she left.

Sasuke didn't know what to make of her. Gone was the bubbly, clingy girl he had known at age twelve. Here was a mature, beautiful woman, who was also the only one that could possibly understand his life. And in a few hours, he would be walking away from her yet again.

Sasuke shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. Staying here would be pointless, let alone dangerous if the Hokage's council discovered that he was back. Anyway, getting his long-awaited revenge on Itachi was far more important that some silly girl from his past.

He still had another four hours or so until sunrise, and he was eager to see the old places he used to visit. Glancing at the door, he figured he would do a little traveling. There were many buildings that hadn't changed; he had noticed those on his way to his house. Now he would see what could have taken place in Konoha during his absence.

"HA!" Sakura yelled as she struck her target once more. Standing back, she brushed away the perspiration collecting on her forehead. She was angry enough that her progress was minimal, if nonexistent; but she was silently fuming, because she had so many questions to ask that damn missing-nin, and she had just left him. He was probably gone right now. Or…her ears' acute sense of hearing perked up at a small sound…maybe not.

"I thought you were just grabbing your things and leaving," Sakura said, not looking up but instead grabbing her kunais from the target. Before he had arrived, she had been throwing the small weapons viciously toward the targets like darts. Her aim had been off this entire training session. Sakura knew it was entirely the Uchiha's fault; her mind was completely drowning out all concentration, replacing them with musings of Sasuke and his return.

She heard his feet land softly behind her as he effortlessly jumped from a large tree. His mood was different now; instead of being serious and angry, he was smirking. He was in a teasing mood now, and Sakura happened to be the nearest subject.

"Why the cold tone? Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked mockingly, his smirk tilting the corner of his mouth upwards in that irritating way she was so used to. Sakura decided to ignore him, despite all of her questions. She was not going to deal with him right now. She had to focus on her training. Raising her leg, she swung her foot at the tree with force and began practicing her kicks.

"I, for one, thought you would practically be throwing yourself at my feet by now," Sasuke continued. Sakura was angry, but didn't show it. _Pig, _she thought. She wondered when he would snap out of this mood he was in. She didn't like it at all, especially when it came to joking about her past feelings. She was no longer one of his screaming fangirls, for sobbing out loud.

Her short, shimmery hair fluttered every time Sakura made contact with the wood. The tree itself was starting to show considerable dents in the bark. She continued to stay silent. Sasuke was teasing her? But it wasn't a friendly kind of teasing. This was clearly testing her to see how much she had changed from the vulnerable little girl she once was.

"Sakura, why so cold? If you apparently love me _so_ much, then why don't you just—" Sakura had had it. Turning away from the tree, she aimed a powerful roundhouse kick to his head, which he promptly caught in midair without difficulty. How dare he make fun of her feelings? He was wrong anyway; whatever supposed "love" she had for him was gone. She would show this arrogant jerk that she was something to be reckoned with.

Sasuke released her leg, smirking as he prepared himself for her next kick, or punch, or whatever she would throw at him. When no such attack came, his famous smirk grew.

"Sakura." Sakura looked up at him, anger boiling dangerously in her eyes. What was wrong with him? He didn't used to enjoy riling her up so much. She glared at him for at least half a minute. Then, finally, she spoke.

"You're annoying," she said vehemently. Sasuke's smirk slid silently off his face. Sakura had already turned her back to him and was leaving. Sasuke could only stand there in shock. But his old anger returned as her retreating figure didn't even look back. Well, he would have none of that.

Grabbing her shoulders, he slammed her roughly against her target tree with considerable force, pinning her in such a way that she couldn't raise her arms to attack him. His face was too close to hers. Sakura almost panicked, but her anger took much more of her than any worry she might have felt.

"What _happened _to you, Sakura?" Sasuke asked in an angry whisper, his hot breath feeling warm and inviting against her cheek. She just glared deeply at him, reminding him even more of himself.

"You," she hissed, "shouldn't have done that." She held a kunai in her hand ready to stab him if necessary. She could still move her lower arms, and she didn't care if he was a boy from her past. She would not tolerate him if he said another word about her so-called "feelings."

"This isn't like you!" Sasuke said, his voice rising to yell at her. "Damn it, Sakura! You don't have to be this way!" Sasuke shouted. _Hm, sounds almost funny, considering he's the exact same way, _Sakura thought. _Only he's bent on revenge, but I've killed the person who wronged me._ "So stop acting just like…just like…" there was no other word for it, except… "Just like ME!"

Sakura slowly turned, and her grim, now-dull green eyes met his midnight obsidian ones.

"I'll tell you what," she said flatly, leaning in so that her forehead touched his. "When it happens, I'll let you know when I'm acting." As Sasuke could only stare at her in confusion, Sakura had gently slipped herself away from his grasp, and left him standing there.

Sakura knew she was being just like him. This was entirely unintentional. She just didn't feel a reason to be cheerful and happy, like everyone else. Why would they be? Where did it get you in life? Stupid emotions. They could go to hell for all she cared.

"Wait," Sasuke suddenly said. Sakura glanced over her shoulder at him.

"What?" she asked, frowning. Sasuke's sly smirk was returning. Sakura realized that she would never understand him and his smirks.

Sasuke walked closer to her, looking annoyingly attractive. That sexy half-grin on his face didn't help her banish her sudden rush of stupid feelings. If she could line up each of her emotions on a table and feed them into a wood chipper, one by one, she would do it. This sudden, unexpected attraction to Sasuke would be the first one to go. For now, all she could do was deny it to the ends of the earth.

Sasuke spoke, gazing at her and looking satisfied.

"Fight me."


	3. The Fight

AN: Ugh, I wrote this chapter, my computer crashed, I wrote it again, the computer didn't save correctly, and now this is the third time. I'm going to murder a computer soon…

Along with that computer crash went my replies to the reviews, so I'm really sorry that I can't answer your questions. I will be able to in the next chapter, though!

Smile for Me

Chapter Three

Sakura cocked her head to one side, staring at him. Perhaps she hadn't heard him correctly. Was he delusional?

"I know you understood that, Sakura," the Uchiha smirked. He raised his hands in a 'ready' position. "Fight me."

"No," Sakura said automatically. She was really not in the mood for this. He could use up his egotistical competitiveness some other time. She turned on her heel to leave. But before she could blink, Sasuke had moved, and was now standing directly in front of her. His seriousness had returned.

"Don't think I'm kidding," Sasuke said, frowning at her. "I want to see if your big talk matches up with your actual skill."

Ouch. Sakura winced at his words. He was, more or less, calling her the same thing he used to, back when they were kids.

Weak.

No matter what, she would make sure he never used that word to describe her again.

Sakura unfastened the hood to her outfit and let it drop to the ground. It would only hinder her in battle. Why was she doing this again? Oh, right, to show that arrogant ice block what she was capable of. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this.

"Fine, Uchiha, I'll entertain you," Sakura relented. "Since you were probably going to try to kill me anyway for Orochimaru's sake, we might as well start with both of us prepared."

Sasuke let a small smirk pass his lips. "Orochimaru is dead now, killed by yours truly." He let a little pride at his accomplishment creep into his voice. Sakura's surprised expression satisfied him perfectly. "But there still lies the question of whether you're still pathetically weak. Stay on topic."

He was riling her up on purpose, and she knew it. But Sakura still couldn't stop herself from being angered by his words. There he went again. Using that word.

Weak.

She was very well aware that she had been weak before he left. But that had drastically changed, and he was about to find out how much.

Gathering her chakra around her feet, Sakura launched herself toward Sasuke, kunai in hand. Sasuke blocked her small dagger with his own, his other fist rising to punch her in the stomach. He wasn't going to go easy on her. She had been annoying back when they were twelve; since she was so eager to prove herself now, this made her just as annoying. Although he could use her stirred emotions to his advantage.

Sakura's foot barely touched the ground before she sprang off of it again, doing a skillful backflip and knocking away Sasuke's fist before it reached her stomach. But as soon as she landed, Sasuke's other kunai had come toward her.

SLASH.

Luckily for Sakura, her reflexes had kicked in just in time, so she leaned to the left and received only a small cut across her cheek, as opposed to having her head taken off. Breathing heavier, Sakura brushed away the blood with her forearm, smearing it slightly. Sasuke clearly wasn't kidding around. He would kill her if she left an opening. Well, she wouldn't go easy on him, either.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Sakura cried, creating ten copies of herself. It was fortunate that Naruto had taught her this one, even if she had to practically beg him to teach her. Each Sakura took out her identical kunai and ran at him. Sasuke made quick hand seals and performed his 'Blazing Fireball," aiming it directly at the clones. However, the Sakuras immediately jumped and, far above him, they threw their kunais toward his head, ignoring his sudden hand seals.

POOF.

_Replacement technique…? _Sakura thought from her hiding place in the trees, where she had just moved.

"Yeah…guess you missed that little detail," Sasuke said huskily from right behind her. Sakura gasped as Sasuke kicked her forcefully, causing her to fall from the branch toward the unforgiving ground.

Sasuke smirked as he watched her fall. But the branch below him demanded his attention as he smelled something burning. A small flame was slowly eating away at a rectangular paper where Sakura had just been.

Sasuke's eyes widened. _Explosion trap! _his mind screamed. He jumped from the branch just as half of the tree blew up, hurling splinters of wood raining down around a smirking Sakura. She had landed comfortably on her feet after Sasuke had kicked her, and had been planning the whole thing. _Well, that was pretty smart…_Sasuke unwillingly admitted.

Sakura's clones gathered around her in a group so tight that Sasuke lost track of which one she was the moment he blinked. Sasuke ran toward them and took out another kunai, an evil smile playing across his lips. He faced them standing still after he had gained some distance between himself and the group.

"You've improved a little, I'll give you that," Sasuke stated. "But if you're ever going to surpass me, you're going to have to kick it up a few hundred notches. Even after all these years, how can you still be so weak…?" Sasuke trailed off. He knew he was lying. She wasn't weak at all. Actually, Sasuke thought that Sakura could almost equal him in skill. Almost.

Sakura's clones disappeared.

The reason Sasuke had stopped his sentence was not because he was afraid of hurting her feelings. No, it was because of the sight he could only stare at in front of him.

Sakura's expression had changed to a look of absolute fury, her chakra building up to a frightening amount. Her chakra was gathering into her left palm, and the static from the air around her made her hair flutter around her as if from the wind. The chakra in her hand was a crackling blue, and made the sound of a thousand birds. Sasuke would have recognized it anywhere.

"Chidori," he breathed, amazed once again against his will. Sakura was in a blind rage now, her glittering jade eyes darkened with hatred for him. It seemed to Sasuke that she would treat him as a true enemy now. She would kill him if given the chance. She had that look in her eyes again; that intent to kill. She never would have looked this way back in their teammate days.

"I hate you…" Sakura said, her head down so Sasuke couldn't see her eyes beneath her hair. Though he did see the small, wet trail of water sliding down her cheek.

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed, and launched herself at him again. Sasuke saw no love in her eyes. Now there was only a raging vehemence, clearly visible behind transparent tears, and Sakura would use it to its fullest extent.

Sasuke had never seen such a burst of emotion from her. She was so angry at him that she was willing to use the same jutsu she had used to avenge her parents, even if it meant remembering why…she didn't usually use it. She would kill him with that same attack.

Sasuke gathered his own chakra for a Chidori. So this was her game. Well, he could play it, too. She shouldn't have expected any less; if she wanted to throw a temper tantrum at him, she would pay the consequences.

Sakura swiped at him, swinging her arm in an arc aimed for Sasuke's neck. Sasuke dodged this, and grabbed her non-Chidori wrist with his own so she wouldn't be able to back away from his attack. He swung at her, coming toward her chest…

At the last millisecond, Sakura blocked with her Chidori had.

The two colliding energies created an earth-shattering explosion that filled the clearing and sent the two teenagers flying in opposite directions. Sakura landed roughly on her back, and skidded to a stop, groaning in pain. Sasuke turned in midair, landing on one knee in a kneeling position. A huge cloud of dust had been kicked up, clouding Sakura and Sasuke's view of each other.

The dust lingered for a few moments. Sasuke glared through it, as if squinting at it would help him see better through it. Sakura's shadow slowly appeared in it as the dust started to dissipate.

But wait…Sakura's form seemed bigger than before. Something wasn't right…

The dust cloud completely settled, and Sasuke's eyes widened.

Naruto was gently cradling Sakura's unconscious body, checking her for any injuries. Sakura had fainted from exhaustion and chakra depletion. But how in the hell did Naruto get here!

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried as Sakura stirred. Her eyes slowly opened, and the first thing she saw with her unfocused eyes was a flash of blonde hair, and concerned sky-blue eyes staring down at her. Sakura was lying across his knees, her head held by his hand and her hair spilling over his callused fingers like silk.

"Sakura-chan, what happened? I heard this huge explosion, and I saw you in the dust—" His eyes were diverted as he caught sight of Sasuke standing up from across the clearing.

"You," they growled in unison. Naruto carefully set Sakura down, and stood up to face Sasuke.

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked menacingly as he started walking over to Sasuke. He didn't have a clue why Sasuke was back, nor did he care—all he knew was that he was going to hurt Sasuke badly for touching his Sakura-chan. Who else could have hurt her? She was one of the best kunoichi in the village now, if not the very best.

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered by way of acknowledgement. He brushed himself off, completely unfazed by Naruto's silent, angry advancement toward him. Naruto's usual happy, carefree demeanor had changed into what Sasuke could only describe as a pathetic effort to intimidate him. Not that it worked.

"Why did you hurt Sakura-chan!" Naruto demanded to know, his fists shaking as he drew closer and closer. It was then that Sasuke realized—Naruto was in love with Sakura. It wasn't just a simple crush from the old days, but was a love that Naruto would give his life for.

"I challenged her to a battle," Sasuke smirked, "and she lost."

Naruto was about to run at him and punch every square inch of Sasuke he could reach. But Sakura fought hard to sit up behind him, and called to him in a soft voice.

"Naruto, please stop." And he did. Naruto glanced over his shoulder at his Sakura-chan.

"But…Sakura-chan—"

"Just leave him. He's not worth it." Sasuke was angered as he heard this. He wasn't worth it! He was worth ten of her.

"Thank you for helping me, Naruto, but right now I need to talk to Sasuke alone." Naruto was stunned by this. She didn't usually talk this way, with such a…frail…voice. She was always strong and confident, even if she wouldn't open up to him. Naruto jogged back to her, kneeling before her.

"Are you gonna be okay?" he asked. "You know I'm always here if you need anything—"

Sakura stopped him with an attempted smile, He had matured.

"Naruto, it's okay. And…don't tell anyone about Sasuke's return. Not yet. Please?"

Naruto looked into her exhausted eyes. There was a pleading emotion in her that he just couldn't say no to. He nodded once, and raised ins fingers to make a quick hand seal. Within an instant, he was gone.

Sakura struggled to stand up, her legs shaking from the effort. Her emerald eyes rose to meet Sasuke's onyx ones. Sasuke had watched the entire scene between Naruto and Sakura, and he couldn't help but feel amused. He stood there with his arms folded arrogantly, his infuriating smirk once again adorning his lips. It was so obvious that Naruto cared for Sakura. It was entertaining to watch.

Sasuke stared as Sakura trudged over to him, a tired yet determined glint shining dully in her emerald eyes.

"You think you did me a favor by stopping Naruto?" Sasuke asked her as she stopped in front of him.

"Actually, I was saving you," Sakura replied, her voice regaining strength. She raised her hand and gently pushed Sasuke's shoulder.

To Sasuke's utter astonishment, his legs collapsed.

"What—" he started, glaring up at her. Sakura had an evil smile growing on her lips.

"You were so focused on Naruto and the situation at hand that you hadn't noticed just how much energy you used up," she explained. "Not just in our battle, but from no sleep last night, and everything you've done for the last two days. If I hadn't stopped Naruto…" Sakura left the thought open for Sasuke to finish. The effect was a dizzyingly maddening emotion swelling up inside of him. He would have…lost. That simply didn't happen. It was near impossible.

Sasuke scrambled to his feet and fixed his death glare at her. "I don't lose," he snarled at her, his black hair falling over his forehead and cloaking part of his eyes. "Ever." The parts of Sasuke's eyes that Sakura could see were angry and indignant. Not much of a change from the normal, Sakura had to admit.

Sakura smirked at him. "Next time, be aware of your limits," she commented, picking up her previously forgotten hood and refastening it to her outfit. As she turned away from him to leave, her smirk vanished, replaced by the exhaustion that she had been trying to hide for the last minute or so. She wasn't sure if she would be able to make it back to her own house now. As long as she wasn't stopped or interrupted, she might be able to get halfway.

Sasuke wasn't just going to let her leave. She couldn't just humiliate him, then walk away!

"Hey, what gives you the right to—" he started, grasping Sakura's shoulder roughly. He stopped as he saw her expression.

That was it, Sakura had used up the last of her energy. "Damn you, Sasuke," Sakura softly whispered as she slid to the ground, her eyes closing. Sasuke, on instinct, caught her, his eyebrows raising. Now what!

Sasuke's eyes traveled to Sakura's now peaceful-looking face. His opinion of her changed every moment. Sure, he was annoyed by her ability to temporarily have the upper hand on him, but he also had a great deal of respect for her determination in battle and for her skills. He felt a kind of bond with her, due to the ordeal through which they had both suffered. It wasn't an emotional kind of bond; it wasn't as if he had feelings for her. It was just…there. At least now she was less annoying.

Sasuke wordlessly picked her up, and started walking. He was planning to go back to his house anyway. Or was it hers?

He sighed in frustration. _If I was apparently so worn out by you, Sakura, _he thought, _then why the hell am I carrying you home?_

AN: So, what'd you think? Read and review!


	4. Thoughts I Never Wanted

Skipping any bland author's notes, I'd like to thank profusely all reviewers. You guys are incredible. Thanks so much!

Smile For Me

Chapter Four

Thoughts I Never Wanted

Kicking the door swiftly open with his boot, Sasuke carried the unconscious girl into his, no, her house. Setting her down on her now messy sleeping bag, he sighed in irritation. Coming back to Konoha was supposed to be quick and painless. He was supposed to grab what he needed, and then he was supposed to leave without anyone seeing him. But no. _She _had to find him. _She _had to fight him. And it was _her _that unintentionally made him stay just a little longer, if only to see how the battle would turn out.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was partially because of him that she was now like this. Yes, it was mostly because of the loss of her family, however that had happened. But he would have expected her to be thrown into a deep depression, crying for months and refusing to go anywhere. He hadn't expected her to become a female mirror of himself.

Sasuke entered his own room, and sagged onto his bed, sleep quickly taking hold. Funny how he seemed to sleep so much better in the daytime, where his nightmares and haunting thoughts couldn't distract him. He was only inches away from becoming nocturnal for this very reason. The idea was certainly tempting.

Hours later, he awoke, feeling strangely refreshed despite the fact that he was in unfamiliar surroundings. Too bad he was still tired. Glancing out his bedroom window, he saw that it was rapidly getting dark, and that if he didn't get more sleep in today he would be completely out-of-sync tomorrow.

Sakura was still unconscious in the living room, he noted as he stepped toward her sleeping bag. She was frowning, and Sasuke wondered what it was she could possibly be dreaming about.

Crouching down and sitting on his heels, he studied her once more. She wouldn't wake up until the next day, he knew. Her chakra had been so worn out that it would take at most a full day to recover. She had been brave to take him on the way she had. It was a bit disappointing to find her limit. He was rather enjoying the little game they were playing, that mad dance intending to kill.

"HAH!" Sakura cried out as she leapt to her feet, swiping a kunai at Sasuke, aiming for his throat. Reeling in surprise, Sasuke stumbled back, his fingers instantly flying to his own kunai holster. How had she just suddenly woken up like that!

Sakura stood over Sasuke, glaring and clutching her kunai tighter. "We haven't finished," she said aggressively, that look of hate that occasionally flickered across her face now burning in her eyes. "If you want to sit and stare, do it on your own time."

Sakura's chakra had strengthened, Sasuke noticed. Not only did she possess more of it, she gained it back more quickly as well.

As her composure straightened, Sasuke realized that Sakura was analyzing her surroundings. She was wondering why she was now back in her own house, when last she remembered she was fighting a battle…

Her head snapped back to Sasuke, asking him a silent question. He slowly nodded. Yes. He did bring her back. And not even he knew why.

A soundless instant passed by. Sasuke merely stared intently at Sakura, waiting for a further reaction. At this point, he wasn't even sure what he himself would do.

After a while, he became aware of a small clinking sound. It sounded like cool metal against metal, but Sasuke could not quite pinpoint the source. He received a shock when he realized--Sakura's kunai was shaking against the side of her holster as her fist quivered. Quivering from what, he could not tell. Anger? Distress? What was going on?

Sakura's glare deepened. "I don't know what you've done to me," she said slowly, her every word dripping with loathing, "but I _despise _the way you make me…make me…" she trailed off, because the rest of her sentence was unknown even to her.

"Make me feel…something." Sakura put it, not bothering to arrange her words into an intelligent and sophisticated manner. "I _hate _you. I hate you for leaving, I hate you for coming back, and I hate you for putting whatever chakra you've used on me to make my emotions swirl about like this."

Sasuke smirked. She could hate him all she wanted. Truth be told, he didn't hate her back. He didn't even _dislike _her. He had some sort of effect on her, even after all these years. Though he didn't know what exactly he was doing to her, he enjoyed the fact that he could still get her all flustered. Although flustered wasn't quite the word, since she looked like she was about to kill him.

"You don't hate me, Sakura," he said in a deep and rumbling voice, taking slow, measured steps toward her. "And so far I have yet to use any chakra effect on you."

"Then why?" Sakura asked, her kunai shaking even more violently at her side. "Why is it that you are so--"

Sasuke halted his steps, simply because there wasn't any more steps to take. He was standing right in front of her, mere inches away. His breath was hot on her face, his warm scent drenching her senses.

Still she had not moved. Still she stood there, glaring at him, her expression wavering only slightly. She made no motion to attack, or back away. She only stood defiantly, as though daring him to try to catch her by surprise with an attack. She almost smirked as she realized that as close as he was, he could not attack with a kunai and hit directly. He would have to take a step back, or else he would not hit anything vital. As long as their closeness was maintained, neither of them could take the other by surprise.

"And I don't hate you either." Sasuke's words hung in the air as he drew breath, then exhaled. Sakura's skin tingled with the sensation. His mouth was only centimeters apart from hers, so close. The tension was high in the air as she waited for him to do something, anything. It's that moment, Sakura realized.

_Kill me or kiss me._

As though Sasuke read her thoughts, he decided to surprise her--he did neither. Stepping away, he removed his warmth from her and turned is back, walking to the hallway. "We'll finish later," he said nonchalantly, his hair swaying with the movement.

The tension in the air was so high until he had completely broken it with that one simple move. Until then, it had not occurred to Sakura that he might just walk away. Now that she thought about it, that was just so typically Sasuke.

She watched, dumbfounded, as he turned right and entered his old bedroom. She was humiliated. Once again, just like she was twelve, she was humiliated by Uchiha Sasuke. Instead of bursting into tears, however, she instantly regained her senses and her composure.

As Sasuke reentered the room, she spoke. "Well, anyway," she said, brushing dust from the fight off of her shoulders, "I've got a mission tomorrow, so I'll be out of your hair for a couple of days at most."

"Hn." Sasuke's immediate first thought was that she was most certainly not in his hair. He brushed that aside instantly. _Let's not go there right now, _Sasuke told himself.

Sakura straightened out her sleeping bag for what seemed like the millionth time, smoothing the folds and bumps in it, mostly just killing time while she waited for Sasuke to leave the room. Her body was demanding more sleep, and she couldn't simply fall asleep right in front of the Uchiha heir. That would be too awkward, and Sakura never was one to handle awkward situations.

Sasuke stood up, running a hand through his onyx hair. An unruly strand fell into his eyes, but he ignored it. Sakura had the sudden unexplainable urge to walk over and swipe it lightly out of the way. Resisting this urge, she grew annoyed with herself as she realized what she was thinking.

"Aren't you going to sleep sometime soon?" Sakura asked, not meaning to sound as irritable as she was.

Sasuke smirked. "Why? Self-conscious?"

"You know perfectly well why," Sakura snapped. "And I'm _not _self-conscious. I'm perfectly happy with my body."

So was he. "You're waiting for me to leave, aren't you?"

"How'd you guess?" Sakura asked sarcastically. She then sighed, blaming her aggravation on exhaustion. Settling onto her sleeping bag without covering herself, she rolled away from Sasuke.

"Good night," she said automatically, not meaning it.

"'Night," Sasuke said to her back.

During the time that they had talked (or rather, bickered), night had fallen, and as Sasuke took in his surroundings he realized that the house was much more silent than it had seemed before. The air had cooled down, sending a slight chill through the room.

The walk to Sasuke's old bedroom proved to be more intimidating to him than it had been in the light of daytime. Now dark and ominous, the deserted hallway made it all too easy for thoughts about the past to resurface; thoughts he had been trying to block out since the Uchiha massacre had occurred in this very house.

He stopped as he reached his old room. Me made the mistake of glancing to his left, down the rest of the length of the narrow hallway.

He froze.

The large doors leading to the Uchiha family's dining room were visible, one door cracked open slightly. The paint around the doorframe was peeling from neglect, and the spiderweb in the upper left corner of the wall shivered as its inhabitant moved.

Sasuke didn't know what was stopping him from tearing his gaze away from those doors, but he could only stare numbly at them as if taken over by some immobilizing jutsu. He willed his feet to move, and they did, but in the wrong direction. Instead of taking him into his bedroom, his feet were taking slow steps toward the dining room entrance, unwillingly compelled to move forward.

Step, step, step. Before he knew it, he was placing a cautious hand on the door handle, not able to feel the cold metal surface of the surface against his skin.

BOOM. _"If only you had power…" Sasuke's younger version mumbled to him, holding his head in his hands, a tormented look in his eyes. He looked up slowly. "No…_you _let them die."_

Sucking in a desperate breath, Sasuke recoiled from the handle, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

The dining room. Sasuke still could not bring himself to step inside it, even after all the years he had had to get over his fears. The image of his parents' bodies on the floor, wrapped in blood and moonlight…Itachi standing over them, a careless expression on his features as he glanced up at Sasuke…

Drowning in his thoughts, Sasuke found his feet carrying him back to his bedroom, and he flopped onto his old bed, the springs of the outdated mattress creaking under his weight. With a frustrated sigh, he closed his eyes.

BOOM. _"You let them die."_

Sasuke bolted upright in a cold sweat, breathing sharply. He was locked in a nightmare, and he hadn't even fallen asleep yet.

Sweeping a hand across his forehead, Sasuke attempted to collect his thoughts, which were racing aimlessly around like rats in a maze. At this rate, sleep would never come.

"I knew it," said a soft, sleepy voice from the doorway. Sasuke's head snapped toward it, to see Sakura leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and looking concerned.

"What now?" Sasuke asked, glaring at her. She had just interrupted the one moment in which he had needed to be alone most. Whatever she had to say could wait.

"I didn't think you would be able to sleep tonight," Sakura responded. "This house has far too many memories for you." She sighed, uncrossing her arms and letting them fall to her sides. "I want you to know that I understand."

"How could you possibly understand?" Sasuke spat harshly, too angry and plagued by his own thoughts to even regret his words.

"Simple. After the Hokage assigned me this house, I would try to fall asleep every night, but it was always difficult. Everything in here reminded me of _you._" Sasuke didn't miss the bitterness in her tone.

Sasuke didn't know how much more stress he could take. Here Sakura stood, informing him of yet another thing that happened to be his fault. It was a miracle he hadn't cracked long ago.

"Leave me," Sasuke growled impatiently. "The last thing I need right now is a sermon from you."

"A _sermon?_" Sakura gave a mocking, humorless laugh. "Uchiha Sasuke, I'd be a hypocrite to give you something like that. Not that it would do any good anyway."

"What was your _point _in coming in here?" Sasuke demanded to know, his voice rising. Now was not a moment to toy with him. Sasuke fought the urge to grab a kunai from his nightstand and fling it at her. More blood on his hands would definitely only push him farther over the edge.

"To make you take my sleeping bag in the living room," Sakura explained. "I know for a fact that you won't sleep in here, so maybe something unfamiliar will help you forget for a few hours."

"I don't need—" Sasuke started, but was cut off.

"_Take it,_" Sakura demanded firmly, matching his glare with her own equally stubborn one. "I'm leaving anyway for the mission. I can get a head start if I go now instead of tomorrow."

Right. The mission. Sasuke had forgotten about that. Though why Sakura would choose to leave in the dead of night was beyond him.

"No. I'm not taking your fucking sleeping bag. Now leave me the hell alone, got it?" Despite his vulgar words, his words somehow had less severity to them now.

"_No_, Sasuke."

Suddenly the kunai idea was looking pretty good.

For a while, the two glared furiously at each other, frozen in place. Sakura had no true reasoning behind her stubbornness. She just knew that, though she would rather die than admit it, he was not going to suffer when she was there to do something about it.

Sasuke, however, was weighing his options. He could refuse, make her finally leave him alone, and return to contemplating his haunting past all night. Or he could give in, Sakura would leave him alone for two days, and he might have a shot at sleeping. The latter seemed more appealing, but giving in meant giving up, And Sasuke's pride was all he had left.

Still glowering, Sasuke realized that he was no longer locked in a staring contest with Sakura, but he had been so lost in thought that his eyes were unfocused. Taking the time to fix his gaze on her again, it suddenly clicked why Sakura intended to leave for the mission so soon.

"…Fine, Sakura. Fine."

Sakura's strong-willed glare vanished, replaced by a serious yet satisfied look. "Good," was all she said. Then without another word, she silently left the room. Sasuke pushed the thin material of his blankets aside. Apparently he had grabbed onto them during his recollection of his younger self, even though he had collapsed on top of them.

He approached the living room to find Sakura sliding her last kunai holster up her thigh, strapping the tough black leather in place. She had only a small medical bag resting next to her boots, which she grabbed as she headed for the door.

"Sakura."

She stopped at the sound of her name, her hand on the doorknob. She stood, unmoving, not turning around.

"You're only leaving now to give me time alone, aren't you?" Though she couldn't see him, Sakura could hear the accusation in Sasuke's voice.

She paused before answering. Her fists slowly clenched, then relaxed, and she bit her lip while choosing her words.

"What if I am?"

Sasuke's beliefs were confirmed. His uncontrollable anger lessened a little, like a vice slowly unwinding.

"Stay," he said without thinking.

It was then that Sakura turned to face him, frowning in a perplexed manner.

"You need the sleep as much as I do," Sasuke rationalized, "especially before a mission."

"Sasuke—"

"Look, just take my old bed, okay?" Sasuke said in annoyance, mostly irritated with himself. "Now get lost."

What Sasuke saw next nearly knocked him backward in shock. Sakura's lips curled upwards, warmth trickling into her smile. She looked beautiful with it; suddenly her posture looked less defiant, and Sasuke caught a glimmer in her previously lifeless-looking emerald eyes. Her old self was showing, just a little.

Sasuke blinked, and it was gone. Sakura looked at him, serious once again. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.

"Good night," she finally said, and then disappeared down the hall.

Once she was out of sight, Sasuke glanced down at the practical dark chocolate-colored sleeping bag she had left for him. It was wrinkled again, and somehow it seemed more inviting than before due to the lived-in look of the folds in the fabric. Giving a small "Hn," he climbed into it, resting his exhausted body onto the cushy material.

It smelled like Sakura.

Squirming around, Sasuke made himself comfortable, relaxing as the warmth Sakura had left on the sleeping bag spread through him. Damn that Sakura. He hated her, mostly because he hadn't bet on her being the first person in his life to save him from his nightmares, if only for one night.

Sasuke awoke slowly, the morning air drifting coolly across his face. Remnants of what had happened rushed back into his memory, and he groaned.

_Wait_, he thought. According to what he remembered of last night, Sakura had either already left for her mission, or she was still asleep…in his bed. Suddenly feeling awake, Sasuke pulled back the sleeping bag cover and immediately missed the coziness. He ignored this and set off down the hall.

To his dismay (or was it really relief?), Sakura was still dormant, Sasuke's blankets wrapped around her form, suggesting that she had tossed around a lot in her sleep. Would he be insane if he admitted that he was jealous of blankets? Soft pink locks of hair fell over her face, a few strands fluttering whenever she breathed. Sasuke felt a smirk creeping up his lips. Sakura was an ice queen—except while she was sleeping.

"Sakura, get up," Sasuke called. "You've got a mission today, so get started." A groan told him that she was now awake, and unwillingly listening. His smirk widened when her eyebrows furrowed and she rolled away from him.

As far as Sasuke knew, Sakura was wearing only a long black T-shirt, the length of which covered her somewhat, but left her strong, creamy legs exposed to his view. The informality of her current clothing made Sakura look considerably less intimidating.

"Sakura, get up." Sasuke seized a handful of blanket, and with one sharp tug he pulled the blankets off of her midsection. Oh—she was actually wearing a T-shirt and black shorts, he noted. He could tell by the way the shirt had drifted upwards when the blankets were yanked off, revealing part of her toned stomach.

Sakura's hands flew to her arms, rubbing them vigorously, obviously cold.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" she exclaimed furiously, sitting upright quickly and treating him to her best death glare. She glanced around for something to throw, but her kunai holster lie forgotten and out of reach on the floor. There was only one object close enough for her to grab. Well, it would have to do.

Sasuke ducked as the pillow soared over his head, striking the wall behind him. A deep chuckle escaped his throat. She was acting like a child. He crossed his arms and stood next to the bed, smirking victoriously down at her.

"At least you're awake," he commented, turning away from her. Sakura gaped at him, looking like a fish out of water.

"By the way…" Sasuke said over his shoulder on his way out of the dimly lit room.

"…I'm coming with you on the mission."

AN: Yes, another chapter finished! As any author would say, apologies on not updating sooner, but I've already got an idea for the next one in my head, so I should update considerably quicker next time. Please review! You have no idea how much a simple review can motivate me to write. See you next chapter!


	5. Nins in the Cave

Smile For Me

AN: Back again, and sorry to all who thought I'd given up on this fic. Just goes to show how late I update…hehe…Onward!

Chapter Four

The mission started out simple enough. The two got up early in the morning, neither complaining about the lack of enough sleep. They dressed and got ready in separate rooms, threw their necessities into a small pack, and started off. The air was unusually quiet that morning; walking through the bare, deserted streets of Konoha proved to be much easier than if they had started the mission in the afternoon. The lack of hustle and bustle in the small shops lining the main street made navigating through the area much less difficult.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke finally spoke up. Sakura was walking ahead of him, which was quite a change from the old days. He remembered a time when she used to watch _his_back.

"A cave near the Sound Village," Sakura responded quietly as she strode toward the village entrance. "It shouldn't take long to get there, half a day at the most."

"Mind filling me in on what we'll be doing in a cave?" Sasuke grunted, wishing she had bothered to be more specific.

"There are a group of Sound outcasts in there, who have been causing trouble in numerous places, particularly our village and the Sand." She heaved a deep sigh. "They have caused about five deaths here unprovoked, and we're going to find out their motives and cut them off." Sasuke smirked at her choice of words. She sounded so confident and sure of herself; she certainly had changed.

"Fine," he said, and not another word was spoken for the rest of the journey.

"So this is it?" Sasuke asked, unimpressed. Luckily Sakura had an excellent sense of direction, as the cave entrance was almost completely covered by brush and thick foliage. He probably would have easily overlooked it had he been on his own.

"Yes," Sakura replied, impatient with his questions. "You don't have to sound so shocked. It's not like they would have labeled their hideout with big flashing lights, wouldn't you think?" Sasuke scowled at the sarcasm dripping from her voice. Her biting sarcasm would take some getting used to.

The inside of the cave was uncomfortably dark, and as the light from the cave entrance slowly dwindled. Sakura wondered how she would ever find the Sound ninjas. It would be all too easy for her and Sasuke to stroll right into an ambush.

"Katon, Housenka no jutsu!" She heard a familiar voice call out, and a sudden burst of flame erupted from Sasuke's mouth and lit up the area in front of them. The cave was much bigger than expected; the massive area was littered with old mining equipment, suggesting an abandoned mine. Pickaxes lay forgotten on the soft earth, and a large stack of two-by-fours leaned up against the wall to their left. Sasuke directed the flame toward the wood pile, and luckily the logs were dry enough to hold the flame. The sound of crackling and popping filled the air as the newly created light glowed, casting shadows along every visible object.

"Thanks," Sakura muttered. "At least we can see now." Her sense of hearing sharpened at a sudden sound, so quiet that she almost didn't hear it. Her hand tightened around a kunai in its holster, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"Now what—" Sasuke started.

"Shhh," Sakura cut him off. Sasuke gave her an aggravated look, as if to say "What the hell are you shushing me for?" Much to his displeasure, she ignored it and walked silently off to the rock wall on her right.

The stone in front of her looked real enough, but something nagged at her subconscious. Faint chakra traces left behind on the surface made it all too obvious to her that this particular spot shouldn't be ignored. A smirk crept onto her face, replacing the spark of worry she had previously felt.

"Found you," she whispered.

Gathering chakra in her hand, she allowed it to swirl around her wrist. Before Sasuke could figure out what she was about to do, Sakura had mustered all the strength she had and slammed her fist forcefully into the wall.

SMASH. Sakura gave a satisfied grin as the wall shattered in front of her; Tsunade's strength training had certainly not gone to waste. Not to mention that the wall was mostly just a genjutsu anyway.

"Sakura, what—" Sasuke exclaimed. His sentence was abruptly cut short as a dozen Sound ninjas poured from the massive gap in the wall, moving so fast that he and Sakura took a few steps back. Within moments, they were surrounded.

"Great," Sakura muttered, disgruntled. "So much for a surprise attack." Sasuke instinctively stepped in front of her, raising an arm up as if protecting her. Sakura smiled behind him, barely concealing a twinge of irritation. He was thinking way too much in the past. In case he hadn't noticed, she could fight just as well as he could now. Stupid Sasuke.

Sakura grinned and slid a hand over his shoulder. Sasuke could feel her breath on his neck as she leaned in close.

"I don't need your protection," she murmured, sending a sudden chill up Sasuke's spine. "But…thank you."

BOOM. _"Thank you." _Sasuke's heart jumped as a memory that hadn't surfaced for years suddenly sprang forth in his mind.

Sakura sprung out from behind him, kunai in hand. With a few lightning-fast hand seals and a well-placed jutsu, she took out the first Sound ninja easily. He dropped, and Sasuke was surprised to find that she was already on to the next one. So far he could only watch, transfixed.

A Sound-nin took a swing at her with a strange curved blade, and before he could blink Sakura had ducked and vanished, reappearing right behind him.

BOOM. _Before she could blink, he appeared behind her, only inches away. Her threat to scream died on her lips. _

Sasuke raised a hand to his temple as his head pounded. He was going crazy.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the Sound-nin in front of him suddenly jerked and fell. Sakura stood triumphantly behind him, her fist extended. Apparently she had just broken his skull.

"Sasuke," she said smoothly, letting the name roll off her tongue, "Are you really going to just stand there? It's annoying when you don't do anything."

BOOM. _He turned to look at her, a malicious smirk on his lips. "You really are annoying."_

"Aargh!" Sasuke yelled, dropping to his knees as the painful memory overwhelmed him. _You're the reason she became like this, _a voice whispered slyly in his mind. _No. It was her parents' death, I know that. _Sasuke's thoughts swirled like poisonous fumes inside his mind. _The old Sakura would have simply fallen into a depression, Sasuke. You don't think it's your fault that she became a perfect mirror image of you?_

"STOP IT!" Sasuke shouted out loud, clutching the sides of his head as sharp pains ran through it. Damn memories.

"Sasuke!" Sakura's feminine voice cut through his thoughts. Sasuke glanced up as she threw a well-placed kunai directly at him. Regaining his senses, he slid his finger through the loop on the blade, catching it easily. What the hell!

"Get a grip!" Sakura reprimanded unsympathetically as she leapt into the air and delivered a chakra-influenced chop to the base of a Sound-nin's neck. "You're gonna get killed just sitting there moaning. Funny how I'm the one telling you this." _Ironic, huh? _She thought, and she wondered what in the world he could be thinking about right in the midst of a heated battle.

Sasuke, for once in his life, had nothing to say. Her response to his breakdown only reminded him further of how much she had changed—and of how much it was his fault.

"Come _on_, Sasuke!" she urged angrily. "_Move it!_"

Her last sentence jerked him out of his position as if it were on cue. Sweeping his hand to his kunai holster, he grasped three of them and flung them at Sakura. Her eyes widened.

"Sasu—" she cried out in surprise as the kunai hurtled past her, missing her neck by inches. "What the—" she heard a pained moan as a Sound-nin who had attempted to attack her from behind slid to the floor, Sasuke's kunais embedded in his neck and shoulder. Anger quickly spurted forth, and Sakura forcefully yanked out one kunai and slit the near-dead ninja's throat. There; the smell of revenge cooled her temper somewhat.

Only two ninjas remained. One stood defiantly next to Sakura, and the other faced Sasuke a few yards away. Sakura backed up, eventually bumping into her partner. Sasuke smirked. _A back-to-back fight, _he realized. _How clichéd. _

"Sasuke…" Sakura spoke softly, preparing to spring at her opponent. "Thank you." And she was gone, suddenly dodging and parrying a flurry of kicks and punches from her opponent.

BOOM. _"Sakura…thank you."_

"DAMN IT!" Sasuke yelled, venting his frustrations on the Sound-nin before him, who looked as if Sasuke were a dangerous maniac and were out of his hands. Sasuke would draw out this fight; after all, if this single Sound-nin was the only fight he would have all day, he was going to make sure it was worth it.

Barely visible wire strings danced from Sasuke's fingers, and the attached shuriken curved around a support beam behind his enemy. Working the strings skillfully with his nimble fingers, Sasuke gave them a sharp tug, and the unfortunate ninja before him slammed into the beam, bound tightly. Sasuke caught the fearful look in the Sound-nin's eyes; this only fueled his desire to see the man dead at his feet. He would not use his signature fire to end this; no, this called for some spontaneity.

He stared at the ninja, and imagined Itachi's face as he gathered a surreal crackling blue light in his hand.

Sakura concentrated on her own fight, and realized that it would be les than difficult to finish the mission. She clasped her hands together and made all the right hand seals, praying that she would recall the jutsu correctly. She suppressed a grin as the ice daggers she had summoned slipped out of the palms of her hands. The chakra-enhanced frozen blades left her fingers and ripped through her enemy. He crashed to the ground with shredded clothing and an agonized expression.

Sakura glanced quickly over to Sasuke to see his progress. Her emerald eyes widened.

The Chidori in Sasuke's hand emitted a high-pitched shriek that bore a striking resemblance to the chirping of angry birds. Sasuke was out of control now, even though his cursed seal had not been activated. The image of Itachi was the only thing in his mind, and one way or another, that bastard was going to die.

Sakura stood, frozen, as Sasuke launched himself toward the constricted Sound-nin, an enraged cry at his lips. The light nearly blinded her, yet she made no effort to shut her eyes.

BOOM. _Her parents lie dead on the floor in a pool of red liquid, the blood seeping into the floorboards. Crying out as she lost control of her own body, Sakura gathered the one technique her former love had used, and pressed it into the murderer in front of her. At this point, more blood wouldn't matter._

"STOP IT!" Sakura cried out. _Somebody shut out that light! _Her mind screamed.

Sasuke turned shocked eyes toward her, but his path didn't stop. Before he could figure out what had happened to Sakura, the Chidori had hit his opponent, and had passed through the Sound-nin's chest.

Sakura screamed as the blood spattered across Sasuke's face, flying past the Chidori's unearthly gleam. Sasuke quickly pulled his arm away, and the light faded.

"Sakura," he spoke, concerned. He kneeled next to her. Sakura suddenly became aware that her legs had given way beneath her, and that she was now sitting paralyzed on the ground.

"Sa-Sasuke…" she spoke, her eyes still wide in terror. She was shaking, Sasuke realized. He had only seen her like this once before, after Orochimaru's illusion during the Chuunin exam. Sudden tears leaked from her eyes.

Sasuke stared at her in silence, an impassive look on his face as he struggled to figure out how he should respond.

Sakura's head shot up as she felt Sasuke's warm hand on her shoulder.

"I understand."

Somehow those two words meant more to Sakura than anything anyone else could have said. She gave him a weak but genuine smile.

"Thanks." She quickly brushed away her tears, and stood up as she realized she had lost her composure. She brushed the dirt off of her legs. "Let's just pretend this never happened," she told Sasuke, expecting him to agree. However, he didn't move or speak.

"Let's get out of here."

"I'm glad that was over so quickly," Sakura commented, breaking the tense silence. "New groups of Sound-nins would have appeared after the first set if there were any left in the mine." Sasuke merely nodded.

The walk back to Konoha was long and tense. Sasuke knew that he could just grab his possessions at any time and leave, but something was holding him back. For now, his excuse was his attachment to the house and the memories it contained. Sooner or later, though, someone besides Sakura or Naruto would find out he was back, and there would be hell to pay. The Hokage would be after him.

Speaking of… 

"Sakura, who is the Hokage now?"

Sakura replied without looking up from the ground she had been staring intently at. "Still Tsunade, my instructor."

Sasuke gave a start. "You were taught by one of the legendary Sannin?"

Sakura gave him a wry smile. "It's not all that uncommon, is it? After all, Naruto was taught by Jiraiya, and you…" she let the last unspoken words hang in the air. She didn't need to say them; he already knew.

"Who knows," she continued, musing more to herself than to Sasuke. "Someday _we _might become the next legendary Sannin."

Sasuke had to admit the thought sounded entirely plausible. If Sakura had reached this skill level, who knows how strong Naruto had become. Back when they were twelve, the very idea would have been laughable.

"So…what was with your little episode back in there?" Sakura slipped the seemingly harmless question into the conversation easily. Sasuke's defensiveness immediately returned.

"Nothing," he said firmly, his trademark glare etched into his expression again. "It's none of your business." _It's exactly your business, _Sasuke told her truthfully in his mind. _And that's why I can't tell you._

"Of course," Sakura snapped. "Because if you were in pain or something, don't tell the _medic-nin._" She snorted.

"I wasn't in _pain_," Sasuke snarled through gritted teeth. "Can we drop it now?"

"No," came the immediate reply, surprising him. "I've never known you to fall on your knees in the middle of a battle, looking as if you were being tortured by Orochimaru."

"LEAVE IT ALONE!" Sasuke yelled, his patience snapping as he stopped walking. "What about you, huh? In case you've forgotten, you did the _exact same thing._"

Pain flashed across her eyes, but Sasuke was in no mood to care about her feelings. It was she who had crossed the line first.

"Is that what you want?" Sakura asked, quiet but frustrated. "For me to tell you my reason before you tell me yours?"

"I don't care about your reason," Sasuke retorted. _Yes, that's exactly it, _his thoughts contradicted him again.

"I know you do." The pink-haired girl sighed. "I could see it when you were there in front of me, when it happened."

"Oh, really?" Sasuke opted for sarcasm, but found he could not quite follow it up. "Fine. You first."

There was a pregnant pause as Sakura weighed her options. She wanted to hear why he had stopped in the middle of a fight more than she wanted to conceal her own reason.

"It was the sight of that Chidori," she confessed, the hurt look back in her eyes. "It…reminded me. Reminded me of when I had to use it against that man who…who…"

Sasuke stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed. So that was the reason. As much as he knew it was selfish, he was secretly just a little grateful that he was not the only one who endured pain on a constant basis.

Sakura forced herself to look calm again, and her mood slowly followed as she pushed her negative thoughts out of her mind.

"It's your turn now," she said. She was answered with only silence. "Sasuke, you're going to tell me, aren't you?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. He resumed the journey back, walking ahead of her.

"No."

An aggravated noise escaped Sakura's mouth. "Sasuke, you said you were going to tell me!" she half-yelled accusingly. "I told you my reason!"

Sasuke continued walking, too overwhelmed by his thoughts to even reply.

"Sasuke!" Sakura caught up to him and gripped his shoulder.

That was it for Sasuke. He clutched Sakura's shoulders and roughly slammed her against a nearby tree, ensuring that he had her full attention.

"What is it with you shoving me into trees?" Sakura demanded to know as she took hold of his wrists. She made no effort to remove his hands from her shoulders, however.

"Is it because of me that you've become this way?" Sasuke asked loudly, angry but desperate. "Is it MY fault?"

Sakura's gaze softened. "Yes and no." Sasuke stiffened. "You taught me that falling into a depression during a crisis would be useless. So, like you, I channeled my grief into working to make myself stronger. The only difference is that you plan on using your strength toward revenge. I have nothing to work towards." She glanced up to him again. "What does this have to do with what happened back there?"

"Sakura, I don't know." Sasuke exhaled sharply. "Everything reminds me of that night when I left. Everything reminds me of what I said to you. And now…just looking at you…I know it's my fault. My fault that you're like this."

"Isn't this better than the way I was before, though?" Sakura asked. "I was weak. I cared only for the stupidest things, like how I appeared to other people, and…a stupid crush." She looked away at that last part, and something unexplainable panged in Sasuke's chest.

"I would have preferred you depressed over this," Sasuke muttered. Sakura being dangerous and sexy, not to mention _tempting_, was not something he was used to. If she had been depressed, it would have been far easier for him to keep his distance.

Sakura faced him immediately, looking furious.

"Why?" she asked. "So you could look down on me again?" Her blood boiled. She always did have a temper, Sasuke noted, although her frustrations were always directed at Naruto back then.

"No," Sasuke said, frowning at her.

"Then it's because I was easier to deal with when I was weak, right?"

_Yes, _Sasuke thought. "No," he replied anyway, a little more firmly.

"Then maybe you think—"

"Sakura, SHUT UP!" Sasuke shouted, moving closer. And before either of them had time to think coherently, Sasuke's grip on her had tightened and his lips had crashed down over hers.

_Because it was easier when I wasn't attracted to you, _his mind answered her.

Sakura had a plan for everything, a strategy for all situations. But how the hell was she supposed to handle this! She pulled at his arms, intending to remove them, but she ended up pulling him to her, until his body was meshed against hers. Whether that had been on accident or not, she would figure that out later. Somehow her arms had wound themselves around Sasuke's neck, wishing for him to be closer when it was physically impossible. His hands found her back and crushed her to him, her soft flesh pressed up against the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.

"Sasu…ke…" Sakura moaned against his mouth. Sasuke took advantage of this and slid his tongue over her bottom lip, probing until she groaned and met his tongue with her own. The heat between the two was intense; Sakura didn't know how much longer she could continue before her knees buckled.

Sasuke maneuvered her backwards, pushing her up against the tree he had so roughly shoved her against before. One of his hands roamed through her bubblegum hair while the other kept a tight hold on her back. Soon, though, Sasuke began to want more. His callused hand moved from her hair her neck, and then across her collarbone. He pulled at the black fabric of her outfit, cursing the fact that it was a single-piece outfit that went all the way down to her thighs. _This damn clothing's in the way…_

Sakura was the first to realize what they were doing. Removing her arms from his neck, she raised a fist and took a deep breath.

As she breathed out, she slammed her fist into Sasuke's jaw.

Sasuke released her and staggered back in confusion, holding his jaw and looking at her in shocked amazement. She had some incredible strength; Tsunade hadn't slacked off in teaching Sakura what she knew.

"What the HELL was that for!" Sasuke shouted.

"What were _you _doing?" Sakura retorted. "Who gave you permission to go and do _that_?"

"Last time I checked, people don't ASK permission," the last Uchiha shot back. "And I only did it to shut you up anyway."

"Oh, and you couldn't have thought of a _better _way to quiet me?" Sakura was radiating fury, but Sasuke ignored all the warning signs to back off.

"Just forget it," Sasuke spat, storming ahead of her. "It was a mistake."

"It sure as hell was," Sakura agreed angrily. At least they were agreeing on something.

Past all the anger and surprise he was currently feeling, a little bit of panic creepy its way in. He had just screwed everything up. Why?

Because Sasuke had lost his last and only real reason to stay.

Her.

AN: Oh, the tension…Read and review no jutsu, please!

H 


	6. Mixed Emotions

Smile For Me

Chapter Six

The walk back to Konoha had to be the most awkward thing Sakura had ever experienced. Sasuke walked in furious silence in front of her, effectively shutting her out from speaking to him altogether.

Not that she wanted to talk to him. That kiss had been a very large mistake, a huge screw-up that somehow…she wanted to repeat. _No, Sakura, shut up about that, _she ordered herself. She did not have time to think about romantic relations, especially with _him_.

"If you're just going to keep moping for the whole journey, then why not jump ahead?" Sakura asked boldly. "We both know you're faster than me."

He didn't rise to her bait. "I don't need to run from you," he told her bitterly. "It's not as if I'm intimidated."

"Really? Somehow I don't believe that anymore," Sakura muttered. What could possibly be going through her ex-teammate's head? He had kissed her, sure—but that didn't mean he couldn't still be furious at her now for flat-out decking him in the jaw. Well, he deserved it.

When Sasuke failed to give a reply, most likely ignoring her, she stormed ahead and left him, forgetting her stubborn I-don't-have-to-leave-his-presence attitude. She couldn't stand him any longer. If she had to spend one more minute with him, he was going to find himself on the business end of a well-sharpened kunai.

Just why exactly did he kiss her, anyway? Surely it wasn't caused by any deep-seated attraction he felt for her. The way he snubbed her back in their genin days still stung. The chance of that kiss equating to a declaration of undying love was exactly nil.

She arrived back at the Uchiha estate before he did. She growled as she stepped through the door, as she promptly realized that her room was technically the living room—no doors for her to slam in misplaced anger. Sensing that he had just arrived behind her, she threw him a dirty look, and stomped into the bathroom before banging the door shut so hard the lock nearly fell out.

Sasuke would have found her childish pouting funny had he not been so furious himself. If only she had just reacted the way he wanted her to, they wouldn't be having a problem right now. And what was he even thinking kissing her in the first place? _What was I thinking what was I thinking what was I thinking—_it was his personal mantra as he vented his aggressions on any and all nearby objects. The nightstand clattered to the floor after a poorly aimed kick, and the mission papers on top of it fluttered into the air. He swept a vase off of the mantle above the fireplace viciously, shattering it into millions of tiny pieces on the hardwood floor.

"Uchiha, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sakura demanded to know as she came out of the bathroom, spying the objects on the floor she had worked so hard to keep clean. "Any specific reason you're taking it all out on my possessions?"

"_Your_ possessions," he parroted.

"Mine," Sakura defended savagely. "I'm not merely renting a room here. In case you haven't noticed, the house is officially mine. You're welcome to leave."

"I extend the same offer."

Oh, now he wanted to be sarcastic. Sakura bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"You know, forget it. I'm not going to fight with you," she told him. "Enough."

Sasuke snorted. "Since when have I ever listened to you?"

"You need to start somewhere."

"Hn." His only response was to lean against the wall, unmoving, a clear sign of stubbornness. If the world suddenly broke in two, he would not budge.

Sakura sighed deeply, her eyes traveling upwards. "I'm leaving for a while. Don't follow me."

"Hn. Like I would."

Sakura made sure to slam the door behind her.

Storming out into the backyard, she eyed the hammock secured between the two strongest trees. She missed those days when she could lie back and relax without an aggravating Uchiha destroying her calm night. As she collapsed onto the mesh, she spotted a glint of silver.

_Oh, dammit._

The kunai struck the rope that bound the hammock to the left tree, and it collapsed underneath her. She let out a yelp as she went down, and as she landed on her backside she threw the back door a deadly glare.

Of course, Uchiha Sasuke smirked back at her. She was going to kill that man.

"Ugh, I will not be able to take sleeping in the same house with you!" Sakura raged. She leapt to her feet, and launched into a fighting stance. "Go find someplace else. Oh, right—the village traitor can't exactly be seen around here." Sasuke held back a wince at her remark.

"I'll stay when I want."

"I suppose _Orochimaru_ always has a bunk for you."

Dead or not, the mention of the Sannin's name struck a nerve. Sasuke's eyes darkened to a shade that should have signaled Sakura to stop. She, however, was in too sadistic a mood to allow rational thinking.

"Don't you _ever _mention him," Sasuke growled. Sakura snorted and shifted her weight to rest on one hip.

"Why not? It's not as if _I _abandoned my village and my friends for the sake of some screwed up, corrupted power source—"

SMACK.

Sasuke was at her side immediately. Before she could blink, he threw his palm against the side of her head.

The force of it sent her sprawling onto the ground, and she clutched her temples as the resulting headache rushed to her. She glared up at him, and bared her teeth.

"You bastard," she spat.

She was on her feet instantly. Her fingers hardened into tight fists, and she lunged at him ready to knock his head off of his shoulders. He parried her punch as she drove it forward, and he stretched out his fingers.

Sakura was suddenly unable to breathe.

"Sasuke—" she struggled as his hand closed around her neck. He maneuvered her so that she fell, her back colliding with the dewy grass. He pinned her there by her neck, towering over her.

"Take it back," he ordered.

"I…won't."

Sasuke tightened his grip on her, and her eyes widened even further.

"Take it back!" he demanded again.

"I…WON'T!!" Sakura screamed.

"Goddammit, Sakura, DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU?" Sasuke roared. "Have you forgotten who I am? Do you even know who you are anymore?"

He shifted forward, and whispered into her ear.

"You're still as _weak_ as before."

When he pulled back, Sakura found herself staring into Sharingan.

"Maybe now you'll understand," he growled.

FLASH.

"_Your hate is not strong enough," Itachi whispered to him as his grip on Sasuke's neck intensified. "You still do not hate me enough."_

Sasuke shut his eyes tightly as the memory struck him hard and fast. He was nothing like his brother. Itachi had done things Sasuke could never comprehend doing. He was not repeating Itachi's actions! As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Sakura's menacing glare, defiant until the end.

"I hate you, Uchiha Sasuke."

He dropped her.

She crumpled on the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. She curled up as she fought for air, the oxygen somehow never managing to reach her lungs fast enough. Gradually, her hysterics subsided as her breathing slowly returned to a normal pace. When she looked up, Sasuke was still gazing down at her, his face now wiped of expression.

"Get out," he mumbled. She barely heard him over the growing buzz inside of her own head.

"No," answered Sakura just as quietly. His eyes slid over her briefly, poorly concealed worry hidden underneath practiced apathy.

"I almost killed you."

Sakura read the tone in his voice. He wasn't threatening her any longer. His words roughly translated to, "I lost control. And I could do it again, at any time." The anger had dissipated. He was more afraid of himself now than anything. There was too much to think about to concern himself with her any longer.

For a moment, Sakura merely laid there, gazing up at him, all traces of anger gone from her face.

_He tried to kill you! _Inner Sakura reminded her furiously.

_He doesn't know what he's doing anymore, _her rational side whispered sadly. _What's become of Sasuke since he left?_

"I'll take my chances," she told him. Sakura pulled herself upright until she sat in front of him and stared. She was all too aware that her face was only inches from his. Perhaps if they were close enough, she could read the turmoil in his eyes. No, she couldn't see it yet. Maybe if she were closer…

She could feel his breath on her lips.

"Sakura." She stopped as his voice held a slight note of concern, and more than a little panic. "Don't."

She was so close that she actually could not see his face. It was kind of a relief for her; she was so near him that she couldn't see what was going on anymore. If she stayed like this…she wouldn't have to think any longer. His image of a raging murderer faded, only a little, but it was enough for Sakura to spot the glimmer of his old self just beneath the skin.

"Since when have I ever listened to you?" she retorted softly.

"Stop being so close."

What was that supposed to mean?

"I would have thought this is what you wanted," she said to him almost accusingly, but her voice was far too breathy to allow for that. "You started it. Are you now trying to tell me that you'd back out now?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, and she saw his uncertainty. Nothing came out, and he settled for simply closing it again.

She shifted closer, ever so slightly, so that her lips barely touched his. It wasn't a kiss; they were simply close enough for contact. "Does it bother you?"

"Very much," he managed. His breathing had become shallow. It seemed he was fighting for control between the part that wanted her and the part that would very much like to see her dead.

Sakura slid her hand agonizingly slowly up his bare arm, only a feather's touch.

"Whatever happens, happens," she whispered.

-

He kissed her.

-

It was tentative at first, almost shy. But Uchiha Sasuke was never shy, merely cautious. He experimentally brushed against her lips, and when his darker side didn't twinge he let himself kiss her harder. He could feel her sharp intake of breath when his hand found the small of her back. With only a small pull she fell into his lap, one knee between his legs to steady herself. No more doubts, no more guessing; she was responsive enough to let him know that she was finally his. The arms entwining around his neck and the feverish kisses she pressed to his mouth told him that much.

Sasuke leaned back until he was lying on the dewy grass, purposefully taking her with him. The sensation of having her flush against him was somewhat fulfilling; probably only the satisfaction of knowing that he now had her. No one would take that away from him.

Sakura's fingers moved to his jawline, where she caressed the spot she had so forcefully punched him before. She felt the rough stubble of two days without shaving on his skin. Her other hand moved to his hip, where she tucked her fingers into the waistband of his pants.

This produced much more of a reaction than she had anticipated. Sasuke let out a low groan before flipping her over, and Sakura found his weight settled on her, his hands now sliding daringly across her body. He broke their kiss to seal his mouth on her neck, and his tongue swirled in circles on the spot. For someone who had never had a real girlfriend, Sasuke knew what to do. It must have been an instinct thing.

Sakura bit her lip as he brushed over her thigh, his touch less light and encouraging as hers had been. He exuded confidence, a sureness of himself that demanded reciprocation. Well, she was never one to refuse a challenge.

-------------------------

"I told you the pink-haired girl would be with him," said the gruff, shark-like man from beside his long-time comrade. His bluish skin glowed in the moonlight, and he cursed himself for not arriving more camouflaged.

"Be quiet, Kisame." The second voice was soft, but his tone was commanding. Itachi never did like the phrase "I told you so." The user of that sentence usually found himself in a puddle of his own blood, had it been anyone other than Kisame. Kisame himself was lucky.

"He might forget his revenge."

This time Itachi was quick to respond. "Impossible. It is all he's ever known." He was never more sure of anything than that.

"And if he does?" Kisame pressed. "Does that mean it's all over?"

Itachi started forward, his robe swishing with the movement. When he spoke, he spoke with conviction.

"I'm going to kill her."

AN: I'm not proud of the writing style I used to start this, and I'm at least glad to say that I believe it improved as time went on. Please review!!


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